HR at the top table

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the aspiration of Human Resources (HR) professionals to “be at the top table”; what that means; and how such professionals can become highly valued members of business teams. Design/methodology/approach: The paper discusses what is meant by “top table” and the ambitions of HR professionals to be there. It looks at the prevalence of HR in top teams; how professionals are prepared for senior roles; and it provides a model for effective top team membership. Findings: The paper discusses the statistics of HR directors in top teams and concludes it should be no surprise that HR is not frequently represented on main boards. It makes the case nevertheless for HR to be on executive teams and finds about two-thirds of major companies recognise this. This paper describes a model of three key functional roles for the top team member and analyses the contributions that can be made. Practical implications: The practical applications relate to the development of HR professionals and to the expectations that team leaders – such as Chief Executive Officers – should have from the HR team member. Originality/value: This paper is based mostly on the writing, models and experience of the author but draws on relevant research papers.